2012 The Warmest Year on Record

2012 will go down as the hottest year on record according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

NOAA recorded the average temperature in the continental United States at 52.3 degrees Fahrenheit. That's 3.2 degrees higher than the average temperature recorded during the 20th century, and 1 degree higher than 1998 that was the hottest year on record until now. March was also logged as the warmest March on record. the average temperature over the summer months in the U.S. was 76.9 degrees.

2012 was dryer than average too. 61% of the country was in drought causing many wildfires. NOAA reports that 9.2 million acres of land where scorched.

Extreme weather plagued the U.S. in 2012, not as bad as 1998 but close. Hurricanes Isaac and Sandy as well as many tornadoes in the Great Plains, Texas and Ohio Valley caused $1 billion in damage. The U.S. had fewer tornadoes last year on average but the season got off to a busy start with large tornadoes.